The use and development of communications has grown nearly exponentially in recent years. The growth is fueled by larger networks with more reliable protocols and better communications hardware available to service providers and consumers. Users have similarly grown to expect better communications from home, work, and “on-the-go”. For example, users now expect faster connection speeds, increased bandwidth, better reliability, and greater availability from all types of communications networks. In many cases, the growth is driven by people looking to give up traditional communications schemes for the efficiency, effectiveness, and availability of new networks. The growth of caller identification and voicemail are examples of communications methods that are simple and effective. Despite the growth in the communications field, the methods for using do-not-disturb features and presenting caller identification are still quite limited to traditional methods and configurations.
One example of communications technology that has not adapted to new trends and technologies is the ability to screen incoming calls. Typically, a user screens a call by either checking the caller identification information for the incoming call prior to answering the call or allowing the incoming call to be forwarded to voicemail, whereby the user listens to a message, if one is left, then returns the caller's call. In either case, the incoming call may cause the telephone to ring, thereby disrupting what the user is doing (e.g. watching television, eating dinner, sleeping, etc.). Moreover, if the incoming call is urgent, screening calls as outlined above may consume valuable time. Thus, there is a significant need for a system and method for screening incoming telephone calls that is efficient and less intrusive.